The food of Janal Pixan: Chachac waj

Here in Carrillo and throughout the Yucatan Peninsula, chachac waj is the celebratory food for the Maya festival Janal Pixan, the region’s Day of the Dead tradition, which means ‘Food for the Souls.’ Na’atik’s Maya teacher, Paulino, explained that during Janal Pixan, the souls of deceased loved ones return to their families’ homes, which have been specially prepared for their visit, and an essential part of this tradition is chachac waj.Made with chicken, masa (corn dough) and other ingredients, chachac waj – also known as pibipollo, mucbipollo, or just el pib – are large tamales cooked every year to honor the souls of the deceased.To prepare the dish, the chicken is first cooked in broth. While the broth is simmering, recado roja (achiote) is added to give it taste and color. Meanwhile, the masa is prepared by mixing it with pork fat and salt. It is then divided into portions to make large tamales.  Once the chicken is ready, it is removed from the broth and corn dough is added to the liquid to thicken it, making a bright red sauce called k’ool, a key ingredient.  The chicken is cut and placed inside the masa. Onion, tomato, epazote, a type of herb, and habanero chili are then added, followed by a spoonful of k’ool. A masa lid is placed on top, and the individual tamales, which are about the size of a cake, are wrapped in banana leaves and cooked for about an hour.The traditional method of cooking chachac waj is pib, which involves digging a hole in the ground and placing stones and wood at the bottom. A fire is lit, and the tamales wrapped in banana leaves are placed in the earth, where they are covered with leaves and left to cook for about an hour. Later, the cooked tamales are placed on the altars, ready for the visiting souls. Paulino explained that the act of digging a hole to cook chachac waj signifies the burial of the deceased, while the tradition of taking the food from the ground represents the annual return of the souls to visit the living. 

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